In the house of fond memories
by Crimson-Eyed-Angel99
Summary: MomijiHana. Amazing, how loss can sometimes drive such different people together. :not a oneshot:
1. Chapter 1

Sorry to put Japanese in this! I know it can be irritating to some people, but it's one of my phrases and I wanted to use it... even if only to shamelessly show off. Sorry! -bows- Fruits Basket is not mine by the way.

(divider)

Her eyes were closed.

There wasn't a sound to disturb her, not a note quivering from the stringed instrument in her lap and yet, the music played on, playing, playing, playing...

that single melody.

She loved it, she hated it, she pleaded for it to stop, if only in her head; stop playing above the sound of the soothing rain outside that reminded her that she couldn't go home. Home to an empty house, which had been full so recently.

Who would've thought he would have killed? No one saw the car coming...

no one heard had heard that scream...

Not even Saki herself, a hundred miles away at college, separated from Tohru and Uotani, who might have helped her retain what precious sanity she clasped at when she heard he'd died. Her parents weren't able to stay in their house, with all the memories, but they couldn't lose it easier. Not with all those memories in it's walls.

So Saki abandoned college, and headed home.

To the house of abandoned memories.

At first, he was around every corner; the memories waiting quietly for her to walk into them. Then they began fading, the moments becoming farther and farther apart when she broke into ragged sobs. But even the knowledge that the memories were disappearing hurt, and Saki spent more time then ever hurting in those late six months.

Eventually, she applied for a transfer, attending at the small college in her hometown. As far as she knew, Tohru was married (already! That shameless orange-haired neko hadn't wasted any time) and Uotani was still flirting shamelessly with that boy she had met at work so long ago. Back in high school.

When everything was all right and her biggest concern was keeping the Yuki fangirls away from Tohru.

"Hello?" A high-pitched voice called out into the echoing gym. Saki looked up, having set up her chair on the basketball court, complete with music stand, so it was difficult to remain unnoticed.

"Oh..." The person, a boy, smiled at her, calm but cheerful. "Hello! Are you playing? Can I hear?"

Saki looked down at the cello resting lightly in her hand, sleek wooden body traveling down between her legs to the shiny floor. Honestly, she hadn't played a note yet, so lost in memories and the sound of the rain outside. Limply, she lifted the bow, aligned it and tightened her fingers around the frog (base), and drew it across the strings, a deep baritone echoing out into the gym walls; thunder rolling from far far away. She lifted the bow off, shaking her head. There weren't any songs flowing into her head, so nothing would come from the instrument, but the boy was stunned nonetheless.

"Wow..."

Her audience was captivated, finding only that single word. His blonde hair framed his face, and it's shock, beautifully, like a model's. Saki smiled faintly, memorizing this expression of his. So child-like...

But all too quickly the moment broke. Love at first sight never happened, and he would run once he found out he was with the college's resident freak.

"Aren't you going to play anymore?" He asked with disappointment in his eyes and she shook her head. Undaunted, he pressed on.

"So, what's your name?"

"Saki Hanajima." She replied, the reaction was coming, just wait, just wait...

But there wasn't one.

"I'm Momiji Souma! Do you want to be friends?"

The request was surprising. Had it been that way with Tohru? With Uo? Had it really been as simple as that?

Oh yes. It had. And even then she had been obsessed with keeping people away from herself. But why keep this boy away? What was the point? Judging by his determined eyes, he would keep pressing at her until she opened up, proving to him that she was happy. His entire presence close to her radiated friendly and disarming.

Why beat him off with a antisocial stick?

"Yes... I'd like to be friends Souma-kun."

"Nooo! Call me Momiji." The boy demanded happily, tucking his blonde hair out of his eyes. "Everyone does, since I was in grade school, so you can call me that too."

"All right... Momiji."

He gasped suddenly and slapped one fist into his open palm, looking cutely surprised.

"You were Tohru's friend weren't you? Hana-chan! _Ohisashiburi desu ne_? (_It's been a long time hasn't it?_)"

"Yes..." Saki responded quietly. Those days were behind her. After Tohru had left with Kyo, the friendship had drifted from "we are friends" to we "were friends". The relationship hadn't disintegrated but... she didn't know them anymore, not as close as they used to be. After watching Tohru, her "ward" as she and Uo sometimes called her, go off and get married, Saki had felt her purpose slipping away. Uotani needed no protection, not with Kureno so close to her now. It wouldn't be long till the Yankee was married as well, a young bride maybe but... that didn't matter did it?

There was nothing left to protect, no one to harbor from the already-terrorized bullies of the school. Saki let her fingers trail along the length of the cello lightly, as one would stroke a cat while she thought. Momii just watched quietly.

Oh... she could see it now, in his brown eyes. He had been the hyperactive little boy at the school fair, so long ago. Who had disappeared so suddenly; the excitable one with who was almost always happy, who used to dart through the halls playing 'cops and robbers'. Though his clothing was always strange, he had been a cute kid, but now there was a seriousness in his eyes. And his waves were just--

were just like Tohru and Uotani's had been when she first met them. Crying, ever so quietly...

Why did all the childish innocence have to die like that? Why couldn't Momiji have stayed the happy little boy he was? Why was it always like... this...

"Hana-chan? Why are you crying? Saki?"

Her tears would stain the cello. The salt might hurt the wood, might leave streaks of her despair. She sniffled and straightened, tucking her hair back over her ear from where it had drifted over her shoulder.

"I'm-I'm fine." Her voice was steady, but she could hear the croak in it's wake, the one that Momiji couldn't help but overhear as well.

"It's all right to cry, everybody needs to sometime..."

The black-haired girl choked on the rising flood, shoving them back into her throat, into an already-overflowing drawer of painful emotions.

_No, not to me. Not to me! I won't cry!_

But the soft whimperings stretched out anyway as she tried to explain calmly why she was 'fine'. Because a _hamaguri (clam_) never cried... it was silly to think this way, silly to cry, silly to explain herself to Momiji's compassionate gaze.

"I lost Megumi."

Choking.

Swallow, breathe, try again.

"A year ago today... it-it was all my fault for not being there. I didn't listen to Tohru and Uotani when they told me to come home because Megumi missed me, needed me. I wanted to stay for myself. I never replied to them calling me after he died, too wrapped up in myself..." She shuddered and let out a long breath. She could feel the numb emptiness that had ruled her life when she was younger trying to take over, remain silent, because silence was easy and no one asked questions.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you, of all people. Why should you care? You're just... a boy from the school fair, the blonde who enjoyed cops and robbers, the boy with strange fashion sense..."

"I grew up." Said the calm boy with the eyes that drifted constantly between smiles and seriousness, like tranquil lake water on a warm day. Saki couldn't bear to look up at him, even though what remained of her faint 'power' told her he was taking one of her hands in his.

"And I'd like to help you."

Suddenly, the blush that had been hiding behind the curtain of tears burst out and Saki moved the cello quickly out of the way, standing so quickly she almost upset the boy, detaching her hand from his grasp.

"You can't... thank you for the offer Momiji Souma." The boy just stood there numbly, watching her sadly, unhappily. His eyes were full of understanding, and she hated suddenly that he _could_ understand. Why should the happy little Momiji understand her? He shouldn't have to, he should've stayed innocent and smiling and childish.

So he couldn't relate to her. So he wouldn't be broken just like her.

"I wish I could hug you." Momii said quietly. Saki looked at him oddly, black locks sliding over one shoulder.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes..." He answered, gazing at her.

"I won't slap you." She murmured icily, turning away again and kneeling next to the cello case, starting to put it away.

"But I still can't. Well ... I'll see you around then Hana-chan!" He was quiet at the start of the sentance, then forced himself cheerful and bubbly, as he used to be. Saki watched the blonde Souma practically skip away, then looked back down at the black cello case thoughtfully, taking out the large instrument again and drawing the bow across the strings. There was a song now.

A faint song in the back of her head that echoed throughout the gym floor, bouncing off the walls like... like a rabbit.

_I wish you could help me too... Momiji._

(divider)

"Momiji! You're home!" Momo came running into the living room, beaming at her big brother. He grinned down at her, tossing off his exceedingly-heavy college backpack gleefully, letting it thunk onto the floor.

"Yup! Is Dad home yet or do we have to fend for ourselves?" He wandered into the kitchen, browsing through the cupboards for dinner. Three dust bunnies and a jigsaw puzzle piece, which Momo gasped at in shock and took off to find the puzzle it went to.

_/Looks like we're eating out again./_ Momiji thought despondantly as he pulled on his coat and held the door for Momo. Ever since their mother had died, they'd been fending for themselves a lot more. Sometimes Momiji's father didn't get back from the company until late, curling up on the couch in exhaustion with a energy bar and whatever was on the tv. Before she had died, Momo's mother had made the meals, for the three of them at least.

But after she died, there wasn't any reason for secrecy. Not with Momo needing a caretaker for when her father couldn't handle the pressure. Momiji was quickly elected, and he made the transfer from a distant college to the community one.

Before now, he hadn't even considered meeting someone from back when Tohru was still here. Saki Hanajima had to be at least two or three years his senior...

But he remembered her brother from the one class they had together. Megumi was a quiet boy, dressed in black; if you were polite and genuinely wanted to know him, there was an entire world of him that no one ever saw. Megumi was very close with his sister, the two of them considered 'freaks' by the school. When Megumi had once stated their "status", Momiji had felt a jolt run through him, even though his friend was simply stating a fact. _Freaks_. That was the Soumas in a basket, just freaks. There'd been a link between him and Megumi and Momiji had always felt he could trust the other boy with secrets.

But now Megumi had died. Feeling more than simply a twinge of sadness run up inside him, Momii paid for the takeout meal Momo had grabbed, barely glancing at the title as he handed over the money.

"Wasa-wasa-wasaaaaa-biiii..." Momo sang, spinning around goofily. Really, she should act her age when they were in public but Momiji wasn't about to criticize her for having fun. Plus, her adorability helped take his mind off the subject of Megumi.

That is, until her twirling rammed her right into someone.

"Sorry!" Momo apologized quickly, even as her 'victim' took a step or two backwards at the weight of a ten year old girl. (AN: Sorry for the age! I don't know...) The older girl straightened again, looking down at the girl with concern in her dark eyes. Momiji blinked, finding it odd that Saki would be at the grocery store, buying... was that pocky?

"It's all right. Are you okay?" Saki asked Momo gently and the blonde girl bobbed her head, staring at the pocky while trying to remain 'inconspicuous'.

"Yes ma'am... is that pocky?" She inquired cutely and Saki smiled faintly, glancing over at Momiji.

"Yes. Is that wasabi-flavored tayoyaki under Momiji's arm?"

"Yup!"

"What?" Momiji stared down at the package under his arm and held it out in front of himself, staring at the katakana which cheerfully read "Wasabi-flavored tayoyaki! HOT HOT HOT!" ---with lovely little flames leaping from the words.

"But this is dinner! And spicy things are hard to eat, Momo-chan!"

"Do you like spicy things?" Momo demanded of Saki, the older girl blinking slowly in confusion, her eyebrows knitting together as she tried to understand where this was going.

"Occasionally..."

"Then you can come and eat tayoyaki with oniisama and me! And then we can have pocky!"

Oh, THAT was where it was going. Somehow, everything related to pocky in one way or another.

"I would like that Momo-chan." Saki replied, her smile simple and disarming. Momiji smiled back, perhaps a more appropriate term would be "beamed".

"Okay! I don't think Father will mind since he'll be late and he'll probably have eaten before."

"Would you like to eat at my house?"

"Ehhhhhh?" Momo stared up at her, then her brown eyes went wide with amazement, childish excitement easily readable in their depths.

"CAN we? Oniisama, can we, please please please please please!"

"Yeah!" The blonde Souma was getting into the spirit of things as well.

"I've never been to your house Saki!"

"It's a little empty..."

"Then we'll fill it up!" He replied cheerfully. Watching him was like watching the years melt into nothing, changing him back into a innocent hyperaive little boy.

"Momo just has to be home by nine or she gets sleepy--"

"No I don't!" The ten-year-old gripped Saki's black gothic skirt tightly with clutching fingers.

"Wanna stay with her! Saki! 'N remember? Tohru said we should eat tayoyaki with special people and stay with them for as long as we can 'n Saki's special!"

Momiji shrugged as Saki turned an inquisitive stare on him.

"No idea where she heard that..."

The black-haired girl shrugged. "Well, standing in the supermarket all day isn't going to get dinner cooked. We should go."

"Okay." Momiji tried to take Momo's hand but the girl had glomped onto Saki like a leech, refusing her brother. Momiji smiled, brushing the rejection off and they headed towards the Hanajima residence. As they approached the aged two-story house, Momiji was taking note of everything.

"Aren't your parents home?" He asked as Saki stuck her key in the door. Momo was eager to get out of the not-raining but still-damp outside weather, her shoes wet from having jumped in every puddle on the way there. As girlish as Momo could be, some things were still too great a temptation to ignore.

"No, they moved." Saki replied in a monotone as she pressed open the door, Momo moving with her as one person, hanging on her skirts.

"The kitchen is to your left, and to work the microwave, you must pick up the baseball bat and whack it. Hard, preferably."

Momii blinked, looking down at the box in his hand then at the innocent-looking microwave in the kitchen.

"Will that break it?"

Saki appeared from where she had left to put her and Momo's coats away.

"If it does, I'll buy a new microwave." She replied with a straight face, taking the box from him and heading into the kitchen. Momiji followed her to the microwave, staring at it.

"You sure?"

"Yes, the microwave is rather essential."

"No, I mean about the whacking!"

In response, she simply handed him the baseball bat. Momiji stared at it, then grinned, gripping the base. Winding up, he brought the bat down with a resounding CRASH! on the casing. Saki watched then said in a monotone.

"Again."

"Ehhhhhh!"

Momo was waving her hands by this time. "Me! Me!"

CRASH!

Saki inspected Momiji's latest work and nodded. "Good job. Now I can officially say it's broken." She slipped the prepared dinner into the oven and turned back to the staring Momiji.

"You just wanted me to break it?"

"It's been faulty for almost a year but I could never say it was really broken. Now I can get a new one." She deadpanned, lifting the microwave with little strain and placing it by the back door. Giving up on this topic, however entertaining it was, Momiji sat down at the counter, asking cheerfully,

"So what are you majoring in?"

"Electrodynamics with a minor in Music. What is yours?"

"I always wanted to be a fireman!"

Saki turned to stare at him, blinking in surprise at his career choice.

"--But then I realized that I could help more people by being a psychiatrist, so that's my major!"

"Your major is Psych?"

"Yup! Right now I'm learning about mental problems that people can have. There's an entire book on people's fears. It's kind of sad really..."

"Oniisamaaaa... I'm hungryyy..." Momo interrupted, distracting them both. Momiji smiled, in the typical manner of a older brother. "Just a little longer Momo!"

"Actually, it may be a while." Saki intoned, looking down at the girl. "Do you want to play Rich man, Poor man?"

Momo looked up, eyes shining excitedly.

"YEAH!"

(divider)

I may or may not continue this... it's what is called an "unconventional pairing", and I have no idea if any of the main Soumas are even going to appear. And the sky looks like cotton candy at the moment, so off I go... please review or it's a definite that I won't continue and this fic will probably disappear...


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: see first chapter.

Yes, I'm continuing. For a while at least… the first part of this chapter was written two years ago, so forgive me if the writing takes a sudden dive upwards (or, hopefully upwards anyway. If it goes down, we're in trouble)

Thanks for all the reviews! They're the only thing which made me update this fanfic again. Apologies for any canon errors, it's been a long time since I saw the series. If I remember right, Saki's family was rather well off, and I KNOW the Soumas were.

(divider)

"Ha! I win again!" The jubulant cry cut through the game and Momiji whimpered unhappily.

"You have so much LUCK Momo!"

"It's not luck, it's skill." Momo informed him with the quiet genuis of a ten year old. Saki had to hide a smile as she turned to take the dinner out of the oven, the two blondes arguing like typical siblings. Evidently she'd distracted Momo however, as the girl's voice made a reappearence.

"Wasabi!"

"It's tayoyaki Momo-chan..."

"Yay, wasabi tayoyaki!"

Saki smiled faintly, separating the dinner onto three plates. It'd been a long time since she'd cooked for more then one...

--but she wasn't going to think about that. She had more then one person here now, two, even. A new experience, one she hadn't thought of since Megumi died and her parents moved out. Subconsciously, she tucked a stray strand of black hair over her ear.

Tug... tug...

"Is it ready yet?" Momo asked innocently, blinking up at her with adorable brown eyes.

"Just a moment." She replied calmly, then jumped as someone came up behind her, blonde hair appearing over her shoulder suddenly.

"Momiji!"

The blonde looked over at her with wide-eyed surprise, face closer then Hanajima would have preferred it.

"What'd I do?"

"Nothing, nothing..." She returned her attention to the food quickly, feeling an involutary heat rising. Momiji blinked, taking one of the plates curiously.

"Do you think you'll eat this Momo-chan?"

"Of course!" The blonde child beamed and took a plate and pair of chopsticks. She smiled up at Saki again.

"Oniisama's been teaching me to eat with forks and knives, but chopsticks are better!"

"Oh, really? Maybe we should try to eat western style and keep up your training." Saki suggested, opening a drawer with a clank. Metal glittered inside and Momo stared then beamed.

"Yeah! I can show you!" She took a fork and knife, poking the fork into the wasabi-flavored treat, then sticking it into her mouth with obvious self-satisfaction.

"See?"

"Yes, you're quite talented. But I believe you shouldn't have eaten the entire--"

"H-h-h-hooooo--" Momo's eyes, which had widened as Saki started speaking, were watering badly now, the girl fighting all her instincts to spit out the bite right onto the table. She looked around in panic, hands clapped over her mouth.

"Momo-chan!" Momiji knelt next to her, unaware of what to do. "Um, Saki, do you have a--?"

The black-haired denpa was way ahead of him, holding out a glass of water, which Momo frantically grasped at.

"The bathroom is at the end of that hall--"

"-hic- W-wahhhh!" Momo whimpered pathetically, having downed the glass in one long gulp. Momiji looked at her pityingly, rubbing her back as if she was sick.

"Shhh... it's okay..."

"-hic- No, it's, -hic-, not!"

"She has the hiccups." Saki noted and Momo nodded tragically, hiccuping again. Saki knelt next to the younger girl and her quietly-comforting brother.

"You know, whenever Megumi had the hiccups, we'd count them until they got to a hundred. After that, they always stopped. If they didn't, then we went out for ice cream, and they ALWAYS stopped."

Momo stared up at her, the room encased in dead silence for a second.

"Ice cream?"

"Only if you can get to a hundred."

"Of course I can!" Momo said enthusiastically, with all the hyper-activity a ten-year-old could muster, and waited.

Nothing happened.

She felt her throat in vain, pouting.

"They're gone!"

The black-haired goth ruffled her hair slightly and nodded pityingly.

"Don't worry. Megumi and I usually got ice cream anyway." She looked up at Momiji.

"The same thing happened with Tohru, when she got the hiccups. She would get so distracted by something, she'd forget her 'disease'."

The blonde laughed and nodded cheerily.

"That sounds like Tohru! She's having a lot of fun with Kyo in Hawaii by the way." He tilted his head to the side cutely. "Last time we heard from her, she said that she was worried about you, so I guess I should pass that on now."

"Ah... she shouldn't be. But it's sweet of her."

"Why shouldn't she be? You're still friends, aren't you?"

Ah, his innocence was beguiling. Looking up at her with his still-big, sparkly eyes, Saki felt a twinge as she remembered Megumi. Wait, why should Momiji remind her of Megumi? Megumi hadn't ever had this kind of perky bliss, even if Momiji _was…_

Was…

Was what? Her eyebrows drew together, wondering. He wasn't emo. Megumi had been classified as emo by the children in his class who dared to be cruel, but Momiji wasn't emo. He wasn't an angsty teenager… like her. Momiji would always burn with the careless glee of the sun on a clear day. But there wasn't something different…

"Sakiiii can I watch tv?" Momo asked endearingly. "And eat ice cream?" She tacked on almost as an afterthought. Saki could tell that it wasn't though and shook her head at the child's manipulative tactics.

"Yeah, we've got ice cream. Go find something decent on the tv." Momo skipped off to the front room but Momiji stayed, to Saki's surprise, as the girl started taking down bowls and looking through the freezer for the illusive ice cream.

"So why are you home all alone?"

Saki didn't hesitate. "I told you, they moved."

"But why did you stay?"

"Are houses so expendable to Soumas? I knew your family had money but I didn't think you just threw away houses when you didn't want them." She sounded harsh, something she could tell from listening to her own voice from a detached perspective. Momiji had probably expected her attitude to be like smooth wood that he could run his hand along safely but she was splintering.

"No, that's not what I meant," She backpedaled, finally locating the elusive Rocky Road ice cream and pulling it to the front of the freezer, accidentally cascading three or four other cartons out onto the floor with several thunks. Momiji dropped to help pick them up.

"Then what did you mean?" He asked simply. Saki blinked. He hadn't taken offense at her jibe to his financial status? His face didn't betray him at all.

"I-I meant that I had to stay here because this house has been in my family for a long time. They moved, yeah, but I had to stay here to make sure it was kept up properly."

"Couldn't you have sold it?"

"Yes, but Megumi loved this house and my mother didn't think that we should get rid of it. It won't sell for enough to make it worth the bother of selling and keeping me here was cheaper than sending me to the college I was at and paying for dorm fees. So I transferred to the community college." She held out a bowl of Rocky Road to Momiji. "Can you take that in to Momo?"

The blonde was twisting a curl around his finger, a gesture that made him look contemplative, childish, and a little feminine all the same time. His face expressed puzzlement and disappointment, though Saki got the feeling it wasn't in her. He broke his pose to take the bowl with a smile however, and disappeared into the other room. Saki returned her attention to the bowl on the counter when she heard Momiji say softly, "Don't bother making a third."

Momo must have fallen asleep on the couch. Saki picked up her bowl of ice cream and walked into the main room. Sure enough, Momo was sprawled on the couch, dead to the world, as 'Oklahoma!' blared on. Smirking faintly, she muted it.

"Well, she _was_ watching Oklahoma. That's practically asking to be put in a coma."

Momiji looked at her, wide-eyed with shock. "But I _like_ Oklahoma!"

The girl hesitated, then shook her head. "Whatever you say Souma."

"Oh, now you're calling me Souma again, just because I said that? Well, just for you Saki, I will deny that I like Oklahoma!" Momiji proclaimed, loud enough for her to hear and smirk but not loud enough to wake Momo. As he stated this, he seemed to get more ideas about it. "In fact, I'll never sing again. Or watch a Broadway show! Or any kind of theat-"

"Stop being ridiculous."

The blonde stopped speaking abruptly and Saki winced inwardly. Too harsh, too harsh.

"So what have you been doing the past couple years?"

He fidgeted, taking a seat on the couch and pulling up his legs like a little kid. He still was a little kid despite his age and maturity, Saki mused. She had trouble viewing him as the same age as here.

"Well?"

"I've been around." He offered, untalkative for the first time. The black-haired girl lifted an eyebrow.

"Majoring in Psych and all. It's taken a lot of time. Plus I had some trouble at home, so I've been busy."

That was odd. That was _very_ odd. Momiji didn't seem like the type to mention any kind of trouble at home, no matter what the situation was. Why had he said that to her? There was nothing to lose in asking she supposed.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Oh just-just things. Family things." Momiji said with a hint of nervousness. That was when Saki saw him visibly realize that he was talking to a girl whose parents had moved without her and had lost her brother. He behaved accordingly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Saki! I didn't think…"

"It's all right." Saki responded. And it was, sort of. Momiji had known Megumi, he'd grieve him in his own way and he didn't have to pander to walking on eggshells around her. Too many people did that already for entirely different reasons.

"So, how's Yuki?" She inquired, changing the subject away from the testy subject of Momiji's family.

"He's good. Married that girl he was dating in high school, they're really happy together. Though Yuki said their fights are always contests of who can hold out with the silent treatment the longest." He smiled, happy at the memory.

"Any kids yet?"

"No, no." His face was shadowed again but the perkiness that was so essentially Momiji came back almost immediately to chase it away. "But they want to. Soon. Since we got the family business sorted out."

"Did the family things have something to do with children?"

"Yes. But not anymore." Why was he so happy all of the sudden? "No more." Saki couldn't figure out why his face looked like a candle and he couldn't stop beaming.

If the blonde had spoken his mind, she probably would have understood, better then Momiji thought she would. Being cursed to become a rabbit when hugged isn't the only way to become an outcast. Momo murmured in her sleep, turning over and cuddling next to her brother, who grinned.

"Guess it's about time for her to head home."

Saki nodded. All good things had to come to an end and this had been a good thing. But Momiji wasn't about to let it go at that.

"I'll see you around, right?"

"I am going to the same college as you."

"I know but still… are you going to join orchestra?"

The girl frowned, puzzled, then her face cleared as she remembered. He'd seen her playing the cello yesterday. How could she have forgotten? She shook her head.

"No."

"Aw, but…" Momiji pouted and his companion lifted an eyebrow.

"But what?"

"But you don't do any extracurricular activities, you just go straight home don't you?"

She stared at him, dark eyes uncommonly wide. How did he know? Nobody knew that. Momiji smiled with a hint of superiority. "I knew it!"

Momo groaned and he took his voice volume down a couple notches.

"You should make friends; you could make friends at orchestra. Haru plays the trumpet and I play the flute, we could have lots of fun if you'd join." His eyes were big and pleading and Saki had little doubt he'd physically drag her out of the house. He didn't think it was healthy for her to stay here and she knew it wasn't, but still…

"I don't really play in groups." She said shrugging. It wasn't really a lie; she'd never played in a group so how would she know? But the boy wasn't going to give up; she could tell from watching him gather Momo onto his back piggy-back style and smile brightly at her.

"I think you should come anyway. The group will become your friends, and everybody plays with their friends, right?"

She didn't have a response to that. The blonde exited the apartment, waving a floppy goodbye to her, and heading off into the night.

(divider)

Sorry if Momiji is out of character. Putting him in college is a difficult thing to write for, since he's so immature-but-sometimes-mature in the series. Kiyah!


	3. Chapter 3

Before last night's dinner with Momiji, Saki had decided there would be sun-bathing in Antartica before she would join the orchestra, but now—now it actually seemed like a possibility. It was with tight shoulders and shifty eyes that she entered the orchestra room, imagining herself invisible.

Once, that might have logically worked, but not now. She stood out with her cello in hand, almost as conspicuous as she would be carrying a whale. Taking a seat in the back, she made eye contact with the conductor only when he called her name, leaning against his podium.

"Miss? Can I help you?"

"My name is Hanajima Saki. I filled out the application to join orchestra this morning," she said, but was thinking better of her decision now. Momiji wasn't here, neither was Haru. She hadn't even known that the white-haired boy was even in the same college as she was.

Maybe she had been a little reclusive.

"Sorry we're late!" Momiji called as he and Haru entered. "Ah, Ms. Hanajima, you came!"

He took the seat just in front of her, violin case in hand, and though she wasn't looking at him, she could hear him beaming. She wasn't quite sure how you could hear someone beam, but his aura just radiated joy. It was like sitting behind Tohru on an average day in high school, years ago.

"Have you auditioned?" the conductor asked. She hadn't.

"But she's really good," Momiji said, unsnapping the buckles on his violin case. "I've heard her. I'm sure she can play two scales."

Was that all the audition was? Saki was glad she hadn't bothered to make an appointment to have one then. The conductor shrugged and directed her to the black box in the corner to search for the cello versions of the pieces while the group warmed up. It was strangely pleasant to hear them all jarring and discordant in the beginning. By the time Saki sat down to play the first piece with them, the orchestra played a single song, rather than the fifteen individual and off-key songs they had played warming up.

Except her. She still stuck out of the group, a bit slower, a bit off the beat. Sight reading was difficult and her fingers didn't shift fast enough. It felt like a tug of war on occasion, the rest of the orchestra pulling her along, always a sixteenth note too slow. They were experienced enough with this piece that they had habits of playing. She, on the other hand, hadn't heard the songs before.

After practice ended, she tried to slip out quietly, feeling stupid, but Momiji caught her by the door.

"Ms. Hanajima!" Setting his violin horizontally on his chair, he jogged over. "You came!"

"You told me to," she said, tucking her head low and not making eye-contact with any of the orchestra members passing her, some of which waved to Momiji as if they knew him. He waved back airily.

"But I didn't know you would actually come. And you joined." He smiled—broader, if that was even possible. "You'll enjoy it, you really will."

"The songs are good," Saki agreed. "It's been a while since I played with anyone though." Anyone since Momiji. Getting lost in a group was like wandering in the woods, but not feeling lost. What would it be like to play in a duet?

"You'll remember," Momiji said instinctively, offering an awkward smile. He looked a little more subdued today. "I would have been here to welcome you, but we were a bit slow getting out of the house this morning." He glanced at Haru and his gaze fell.

"Out of the house? You didn't go to class?" Saki asked.

"I don't have classes today and Haru skipped."

"Was something wrong?"

It didn't look like Momiji would answer for a moment, then he said quietly, "I didn't expect to hear Megumi had died the other day. It's been bothering me."

Oh. She hadn't thought of that when she told him; it was hard to think of Momiji mourning anything. Not that he was heartless, but she couldn't have imagined him being depressed, especially over something as old as Megumi's death.

Then again, she had known for years and she was still mourning. She tried not to think about apologizing to him, or reassuring him that everything would be all right, because she had no confidence that it would. She had trouble getting up in the morning too.

"If you need anyone to speak to," she found herself saying. "You can talk to me."

Where had that come from? He had Hatsuharu, and the Souma family, and Momo, and his father. And at least the beginnings of a degree in Psychology. She offered a couple years of living in grief, in an empty house, and cello music. She edited her statement brokenly.

"Or sometimes playing music. That can help too."

"With you?"

Well… she had meant alone. The silent hush that Momiji had found her in two days ago, with her and her cello and the rich thrum of her grief. But had it ever made the grief _lessen_? Maybe playing together would help Momiji more. Maybe becoming like Saki wouldn't help anything.

"Yes. Just tell me when." She slid her cello into its case gently, feeling the smooth wood glide against her fingers like a kite taking off. Ironic, since it was being laid to rest. Standing, she nodded to Haru, who had come up behind Momiji, and picked up her case.

"It was good to see both of you."

"I'm so glad you came!" Momiji said, and he truly seemed to mean it. "Don't disappear now, okay? Come back on Thursday?"

"There are two practices a week?" Saki only remembered hearing about the Tuesday afternoon one.

"No, we have a concert." Pawing through a zippered part of his case, Momiji found a folder and pushed it at her. "I don't think you can play since you've been here a day, but you should come. Momo and my dad will be there. She'd be happy to see you again."

He was wheedling, but it was working and something about his smile was infectious.

"It… it should be interesting. I'll try to come." Seven at a nearby concert hall on Thursday night. What else would she be doing?

"Yes!" Momiji pumped the air with his free hand. "Let's go, Haru!"

The white-haired man nodded to her in passing, accompanying Momiji out of the orchestra room. He'd grown quieter as he aged, not so much the angry delinquent Saki remembered him being and more of the solemn person she had caught glimpses of at times, usually when Yuki was around. She had sometimes wondered about them, but Momiji had always appeared, distracting and bubbly. That was the way things went though; people changed when you fell out of contact with them.

And now she had a concert to go to. Smiling, she closed her cello case and, though she didn't strike up a conversation with anyone on the way back to the house, she felt more social than she had in ages.

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Author's Note:

First, thank you to everyone who actually… READS this thing. And reviews. And waits for YEARS. O_o

You all have incredible tenacity, and I'm sorry I've been a fail author. It bothers me when people do that—and then I do it myself. Thank you so much caring about this story.

A note to Dani's random fox: No, your notes are completely not offensive! I love constructive crit, though I don't plan to rewrite this story (if I were, your notes would be fantastic). You made some excellent points and I jogged the story by switching it to violin in this chapter. Thank you thank you for all your comments. They're very accurate and appreciated. I should rewrite, but I'm working on original fiction most of the time now, and just feel like I should finish this story.

To everyone else who reviewed chapter 2: loretta537, Avid Adrenaline, RaiderTKD, .Illusion, Kiki Hayashi, atsuko sohma, XxxlovebreaksthebrokenxXX, and southern-punk = wow guys. You are the only reason this story keeps toddling on. Holy cow. You're all amazing.

Apologies for any OOC or major plot problems. I've been out of this fandom a long time now and, regrettably, the story's not going to have a major conflict. It might end next chapter, if I can come to an ending point. I don't know what will happen. Hopefully it's… still okay.


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